


chocobos are just oversized big birds

by banorashipping



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Genesis Being Genesis, M/M, and its nice and sweet, and seph/kuja works so GOOD, basically kuja and seph go on a chocobo ride, chocobo riding, i am emotional and stupid, its a bit ooc but like....its if they recovered from mental issues so, listen im gay and tired ok? this is the best i could do, sephiroth levels of gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 12:11:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19723435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/banorashipping/pseuds/banorashipping
Summary: Kuja invites Sephiroth on a date. In the middle of nowhere, on a bird.





	chocobos are just oversized big birds

The cool dusk air blew by his face, whipping his long hair in the wind and rustling his long jacket. At this time of the evening, the chocobo farm was almost completely abandoned, except for the birds themselves walking idly around the grass. Their strong bodies and definition of their legs were still well visible in the dim light of the stars as they stared at Sephiroth and his companion with interest. He visibly swallowed.  
"Nervous?" A voice piped up next to him. Kuja grinned down at him, looking smug at his predicament. "Don't tell me you've never ridden a chocobo before." 

Yes, in fact, Sephiroth was very nervous. His entire body was tense and stiff, his hands shaking slightly with the effort to appear as though he was calm and relaxed. He took a deep breath and managed to unclench his jaw.

"I'm not scared of some oversized big bird, Kuja." 

"Really?" Kuja winked. "Because someone seemed awfully jittery a minute ago around those so-called 'oversized big birds' in the pen. They won't bite, you know." A look of contemplation crossed his face for a moment. "Ah, scratch that. They nip, but it doesn't hurt. You're a genetic super SOLDIER," he waved his hand dismissively. "You can take it." 

"Not helping."

"Alrighty then!" Kuja cheerfully ignored him. He pursed his lips and crossed his arms. "Now, are you gonna get on the thing or what?" 

Sephiroth looked helplessly at the chocobo. There was some kind of leather saddle on the bird's back, with thick reigns encircling its sides and beak. "I don't know how, exactly." 

With a huff, Kuja grasped the reins on the creature and slowly led it to the side of Sephiroth. He eased it down gently, low enough so that he could easily swing his leg over the body of the bird. The chocobo blinked up at him and softly cooed.  
"Well, it's not as hard as it looks. The basic concept is balance and control of the animal, which you barely need to worry about because I'll be in control. Ever ride a motorcycle with someone?"

Sephiroth nodded, cringing. Numerous rides with Genesis' terrible driving habits flashed through his mind. He remembered clinging on for dear life as he took Angeal's bike out for a spin through the streets of Midgar, and still managed to quote LOVELESS as he narrowly managed to avoid running someone over. He learned a valuable life lesson that night--never trust a twink with too much money and a motor enthusiast husband. 

"It's exactly like that, but the motorcycle has feathers, and is a lot cuter." Kuja smiled. "Balance isn't that hard--keep one leg on either side of the body and your body slightly leaned forward, make sure to not tilt in either direction." The smile turned smug. "And you'll be hanging on to me, so you won't fall off. I'll be steering it and also acting as an anchor." The chocobo nuzzled Kuja's hand and shook its plumage. "Understand?" 

Trying not to let his hesitation show, Sephiroth nodded and inhaled sharply. He strode over to the bird, willing his face to look as confident as possible. 

He grasped the leather front of the saddle and began to swing his leg over the body, but immediately flinched and stepped back when the chocobo moved underneath him. He backed up shakily and tried to ignore Kuja giggling behind him. 

A sharp-nailed hand clutched his arm and another pressed his back to Kuja's chest, hoisting him up in the air. Kuja managed to lift both him and the added weight of masamune on. He resisted the urge to kick his legs in the empty space as he was lowered onto the saddle seat.  
Sephiroth sat stiffly on the back of the chocobo, not daring to move an inch as Kuja swung his leg over the seat and swiftly took hold of the reigns. There was a shift as Kuja turned back to smile at him. 

"Hands around my waist." Kuja shifted so that his chest was close to the chocobo's neck and his lower back was closer to Sephiroth. "Lean on me so you won't fall off. I'm going to get her to start, and she'll take off at first, but then slow down. Be prepared for her to go faster than you expect. Make sure you have a tight grip on me and legs evenly balanced on either side." He fired out instructions as he began to adjust the straps on the beak. "Oh! And one more thing." 

Sephiroth didn't think he could remember any more specifics at this point. "Yes?"  
"Drop the sword."  
He did a double take. "What?"

"You heard me, handsome." Kuja batted his eyelashes over his shoulder. "No need for...uh...masakine? Masarune?" 

"Masamune." 

"Yes! No need for a nine-foot katana on a chocobo ride. I don't care whether you have it in a sheath or not, it's added weight and a nuisance." With that, Kuja grabbed the hilt of masamune and flung it with surprising strength across to where the barn was. 

Sephiroth's mouth went dry. "That sword is more than twenty pounds, you know?"

Kuja turned back to look at him again, eyebrow raised. "And?"

He swallowed thickly. "Nothing." 

"That's what I thought!" Kuja laughed. "Now hold tight!" 

Despite the warning, Sephiroth didn't have much time to prepare himself before Kuja ground his thigh into the side of the bird with purpose. Powerful legs kicked off from the ground and launched them forward down the path on the side of the farm, and continued to run down the uneven dirt. Dust and small rocks were flung into the air as the chocobo ran, heading towards a steep downhill. Kuja leaned forward and grasped the reigns tighter as it gained speed.

He tightened his grip on Kuja's middle. "God, how fast is it going?" His voice was shaking with every jolt of the chocobo underneath them. "Are we staying this fast down that hill?"

"She's (italic) going at a little over half speed. Her name is Moony and she hasn't been for a ride in a while, so she's carrying a lot of pent up energy!" Kuja laughed. "Loony moony! We'll slow down after the hill, don't worry. Hold on now!" 

There was a plunge and a feeling of weightlessness as Moony hurtled down the hill, leaping over rocks and holes in the soft grass. The sharp decline was terrifying enough without the added feeling of one's life in the hands of a giant bird, but Sephiroth managed to not panic visibly as he lifted his chest slightly to marvel at the dizzying sight of rolling grass and hills.

He could hear the wind whistling by his ears as the chocobo sprinted down further, and he could feel Kuja's chest rising and falling as he laughed and whooped. The reigns were pulled tight, and the bird went into a steep turn at the bottom of the slope.

Finally slowed down to a steady walk, Sephiroth exhaled with relief and pulled himself off Kuja. He hadn't even realized that he had been practically wrapped around him for the duration of the ride, chest pressed tightly against his back. 

He coughed and flushed slightly, hoping Kuja didn't notice. "You're a madman, you know that? Who the hell laughs while being flung to death on a bird?" 

"God, I think you left a few marks on me, darling." Kuja gestured to a row of red nail marks on his exposed torso. "What was that about not being nervous?" 

Sephiroth felt his face go even redder than before. "It would be a lot better if you had let me bring masamune along, you know." He mumbled. "I would have felt a lot safer with it."

"And risk you shanking me or Moony? No thanks." He felt Kuja shift so he was sitting up straighter on the chocobo. "We got plenty of land to explore now."

With a nudge that was much more gentle than last time, Kuja urged the bird into a slightly faster trot. Sephiroth could finally breathe and take in the gorgeous view--seas of green dotted with specs of red and orange flowers. He turned around to see the roll of the hill behind him, and it no longer looked as terrifying as before. 

He internally cringed. He couldn't believe he had been scared to go down that. (italic) 

Determined put that in the past, he turned back to admire the seemingly endless forest to his left. The trees stretched into the distance, with their lush green leaves and scent carrying out as far as the eye could see. The light of the sun low in the sky filtered through the forest, casting a glow on the grass ahead of them. Kuja whistled appreciatively. 

"Man, I haven't been here in a long damn time. Seems even more beautiful than before." Kuja paused. "Wait, you've never been around here, right?" 

Sephiroth shook his head. 

"Oh!" Kuja waved his hands around excitedly. "I planned for this to be a short ride, but if you haven't seen around here, then I really, really, want to show you around this area 'cause it's worth it. Gorgeous." 

Sephiroth blinked. "Why, thank you. You're gorgeous as well."  
"I was talking about..." Kuja paused and turned red. "Never mind, that was real nice of you. What a gentleman!" He nudged his back against Sephiroth teasingly. Moony, sensing the imbalance, slowed down.

He shrugged. "I was only stating a fact."

"Please," Kuja fanned his face. "If you keep sweet talking me like that I'll take you anywhere."

"I'll go anywhere, as long as it's with you."

Kuja seemed to go through the entire range of human emotion before settling on flustered yet amused. "I need to get that redheaded twink and his book of poems away from you. I can't control a chocobo when you're being all charming." He coughed. "Anyway, there are a few places I wanna show you. Ready?" 

"Are you going to go fast again?" Sephiroth shimmed down so he was leaning against Kuja once more. 

Kuja gave him one of those smiles again. "Absolutely." 

Moony stirred back into a fast gallop, zipping down the field and near the line of the woods. She bounced as she sped over rocks and stumps, and the leaves crunched under her claws. 

The forest was a lot bigger than he imagined, and Sephiroth whipped his head wildly to take in the view. Ivy and other plants stretched between the trees, making intricate designs that animals could crawl over. The deeper they went into the thick of it, the more he could spot bird nests and rodent dens scattered about. Moony let out a soft "Kweh!" at an owl whooshing overhead. 

Suddenly, the trees began to thin and open up into a clearing where there were no leaves to block out the sun, leaving a rocky bench by a small stream of running water bathed in orange light. Sephiroth looked up to see the sky painted with hues of purple and pink as the sun began to sink lower. Moony came to a full stop, leaving him and Kuja in the middle Suddenly, he found it hard to breathe. 

"That good, eh?" Kuja slid off the back of the chocobo and held out a hand for Sephiroth to take. His armored boots sank slightly in the soft, green grass. 

Sephiroth quickly clasped Kuja's hand as he untangled himself from the saddle. He let Kuja pull him to the stone bench by the water. The stream was fast moving, and he could swear he could see tiny flecks of gold and silver in the rushing flow. 

"You know," Kuja's voice was soft and quiet. "I come here when I need to get away from it all. No one else knows about this spot so it's just Moony and I. Do you ever feel like that, Seph?" Kuja turned to study him curiously. "Like life is too much sometimes, and you just gotta be alone with your thoughts?" 

"What do you come here to think about?" Sephiroth squeezed his hand. He hadn't realized that he never let go of it earlier. 

"Lots of things." Kuja took a deep breath. "Ever feel like this world wasn't meant for you?" He laughed bitterly. "I'm a failed experiment by the government, created to destroy. Pretty shitty if you ask me." 

Sephiroth leaned on his shoulder and grimaced. "I'm the same way." He tried not to think about Jenova, Cloud, Hojo, and the terrifying reality of it all. He just wanted to listen to the sound of the stream and Kuja's breathing until his mind was clear. 

"Yeah," Kuja continued. "I think about that, and my brother and his friends, how they must be so happy." His face softened. "I hope they're happy, wherever they are." 

"I'm sure they are." 

"I think about you, too." 

"Oh." 

Kuja shrugged. "Yeah." He then suddenly shot up like he remembered something, knocking Sephiroth off his shoulder. "Ah, sorry. But come with me! The sun has almost set and there's one more thing I want to show you." 

He tugged Sephiroth back towards where Moony stood, and jumped on. Once Sephiroth followed, he dug his leg into her side and shot off. 

The rest of the forest faded into a blur as Sephiroth held tightly to Kuja's waist. The clearing was soon long behind him, and the trees moved in like a thick blanket of green. Moony keep going forward until the trees cleared yet again, and they were out of the forest once again. 

They were now on top of a hill, Sephiroth realized. It overlooked another large, open field--but this one was covered with deep red and pink flowers, tinged with a warm glow from the sun. His gaze curved upwards, and he found his breath taken away for the second time that evening. The view from the top let them see the entirety of the field and a lake glittering in the distance. Farther back, the sun was glowing as it began to disappear under the horizon, making the sky bright with rich orange and pink.

"So," Kuja said as they slid off the chocobo. "Worth coming on a trip with me for?" 

"Yeah." Sephiroth nodded, taking in the view. "Yeah." 

Moony cooed and nuzzled against where Sephiroth's shoulder was. He responded by scratching under her feathers and petting her soft head. 

They were silent for a moment. Then, Kuja spoke, his voice quiet and soft. "Thank you for joining me today. I really wanted you to come." 

Sephiroth smiled. "It's no problem at all." 

"Ah," Kuja took a deep breath. "You seemed lonely, and I'm lonely for sure, and I figured it would be in the best interest for us to spend some time together. I'm not sure if this is a date, or just us being friends, but honestly, I'd really (italic) prefer if it was a date. And I know you probably don't want that with me, or even at all, but I really enjoyed today because you make me happy and want it to happen again and oh god I'm rambling aren't I-"

"Kuja." 

Kuja flushed. "Yeah?"

Sephiroth chose his next words carefully. "You make me happy too, you know." 

"Really?" Kuja's got even redder and he shifted from foot to foot. "So it's a date? Or, uh, it was a date?"

"It's still a date right now." 

"Man, haha," He laughed nervously, avoiding eye contact. "I'm sorry for being so awkward, I've been on a few dates before but never with someone...ah, uh..." 

"Someone?" 

"Someone like you," Kuja mumbled. 

Sephiroth could hardly breathe. "You know what? I know you're happy, but I think I need to be happy too." 

Kuja inched closer. "Can I help with that?" 

He couldn't help the sappy smile that spread on his face. This was still all incredibly new to him, and years spent with no one didn't do him well. He desperately willed his heart to slow down as he tried to calm his breathing. 

"Yeah. I-" Sephiroth's voice was a bit too shaky for his liking. "I'd be a lot happier if you kissed me." 

Kuja smiled and did just that.

**Author's Note:**

> if you comment/kudos to lmk how much you liked it I love you!! thank you for reading haha


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